Transmission-gear.



No. 799,147. PATENTED SEPT. 12, 1905. O. W. DAVIS.

TRANSMISSION GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED APR, 25.1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Bi litnzssm: g mmntur PATENTED SEPT. 12, 1905.

0. W. DAVIS.

TRANSMISSION GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 25.1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

inventor No- 799,147. PATENTBD SEPT. 12, 1905.

O. W. DAVIS.

TRANSMISSION GEAR.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 25.1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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nmlaw. I. cum] so. mmufmcmma, wumamm u c UNITED STATES ORSON WV. DAVIS,OF ADRIAN, MICHIGAN.

TRANSMISSION-GEAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1905.

Application filed April 25,1904. Serial No. 204,900.

To (LU whom it rrm y concern..-

Be it known that I, ORSON V. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Adrian, in the county of Lenawee, State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Transmission-Gears; andI do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to whichitappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

This in vention relates to a d ifferential-spcedtransmission gear formotor-vehicles; and it consists in the construction and arrangement ofparts hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out particularly in theclaims.

The object of the invention is to provide means for enabling a movablefriction-disk to be connected directly with the face of the fly-wheel ofthe engine or engines in a manner to transmit the motion therefrom tothe driving-shaft, said friction-disk being movable transversely of theface of the fly-wheel, but held against lateral movement either on orwith its shaft, while the engines are mounted upon movable carriages,whereby they may be moved to bring their fly-wheels either singly orconcurrently into operative relation with said friction-disk.

The above object is attained by the structure illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective View of theframe of the motor-car carrying my improved driving mechanism. Fig. 2 isa plan view of the frame and running-gear, parts being broken away. Fig.3 is an enlarged plan view of one of the engines and the frictiondriving-disk, showing the mechanism for moving the engine-carriage tobring the liy-wheel into operative relation with said disk. Fig. a is anenlarged elevation of the ratchets for locking the driving mechanism.Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a sectionalview on line 6 6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line 7 7 ofFig. 3. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view in elevation of the friction-diskand its shaft and the fiy-whecl of one of the engines.

Referring to the characters of reference, 1 designates the frame, Whichis formed, preferably, of angle-iron and which carries the drivingmechanism. The motive power is supplied by two gasolene-engines 2, whichare mounted upon carriages 3, that are supported at their opposite endsto slide in ways in the frame and which carry the crank-cases 4: of theengines, in which are journaled the crankshafts 5. Upon the inner endsof the crankshafts are the flywheels 6. The ways in which theengine-carriages move are formed by the superimposed bars 7.and 8 at theforward ends of the carriages (see Fig. 7) and the superimposed bars 9and 10 at the rear ends thereof. The engine-carriages are actuated inthe ways by means of the togglelevers 11, which are pivoted to saidcarriages and to the side bars of the frame and are connected by thebars 12, which are pivoted at 13 to the joints of said toggle-levers,the rear ends of said bars being pivoted to the levers 14, which are fulcrumed to the frame and have pivoted to their inner ends theadjustable rods 15, which lead to and are jointedly connected with thestandards 16 of the pedals 17, said pedals being pivoted to theirrespective standards and having depending therefrom a dog 18, adapted toengage with a ratchet 19, whereby said pedals may be locked whendesired. By a pressure upon both of said pedals both sets oftoggle-levers will be actuated to move the carriages of the engines intheir Ways and bring the faces of the fly-wheels 6 into engagement withthe periphery of the frictiondisk 20, interposed between said fly-wheelsand splined to the d riving-shaft 21 by means of the keys 22. Thefly-wheels of the engines are driven in opposite directions, so thatwhen brought into contact with the periphery of the friction-disk 20said disk is caused to revolve, imparting a rotation to the shaft 21 andturning the rear axle 23 through the common driving-gear (not shown)within the case 24:, the movement of the engine-carriages to accomplishthis purpose being illus trated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. A movement ofthe friction-disk 20 upon its shaft 21. toward or from the center of thefly-wheels of the engine will regulate the speed of the car as desired.W'hen the friction-disk 20 is engaging the faces of the fly-wheels closeto their center, the driving-shaft will be turned slowly, but theengines will have great power over the traction-\\'l1eels-an arrangementof material advantage for the purpose of hillclimbing or whenencountering sandy roads.

As the disk 20 is gradully moved outwardly from the center of thefly-wheels the speed of the car will be correspondingly increased, aswill be well understood. To facilitate the By a manipulation of saidlever the rod 28 may be reciprocated to slide the friction-disk upon theshaft 21 to vary the speed of the car or reverse the motion thereof, asrequired.

v Said rod slides through a sleeve 33 and is provided with a joint 34therein to accommodate the sweep of the arm 30.

Because of the factthat the pedals 17 and their connecting-levers may beoperated independently the engines may be used singly or together, asdesired. This arrangementis especially advantageous where an accidenthappens to one of the engines to disable it, in which case said enginemay be cutout and its carriage moved to free its fly-wheel from thefriction-disk, when the car may be driven wholly from the other engine.Another advantage in the opposed engines resides in the fact that whenstarting but one engine need be cranked, and after the car is undermotion its fly-wheels into engagement with the disk 20, causing therotation of said disk to start said engine, when by closing the switchof its sparker its power may also be applied to the friction-disk forthe propulsion of the car. Theeffect of bringing the fly-wheels of theengines into engagement with the rotary disk when said engines arerunning is practically to couple said engines through the drive-shaftand synchronize them, whereby the equation of their combined force isexerted upon said shaft.

Connected with each of the engine-cylinders is an exhaust-pipe 35, whichextends rearwardly to a cross-pipe 36,that is connected, through theT-coupling 37, with a suitable muffler 38. There is spring enough in the.pipes 35 to allow of the necessary movement of the engines in carryingtheir fly-wheels into frictional contact with the disk 20; but, ifdesired, a short section of hose may be inserted in said pipes to morefreely permit of the movement of the engine.

The drive-shaft is provided with the usual universal couplings 39 and4:0 and with the telescopic joint 11.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination in a motor-vehicle, of a frame, an engine movablymounted in said frame, a friction-wheel on the shaft of said engine, adrive-shaft having connection with the rear axle, afriction-disk mountedto slide upon said shaft and to rotate therewith, said disk beingadapted to impart motion to the shaft when the friction-wheel of theengine is brought into contact therewith.

' 2; In a motor-vehicle, the combination with a suitable frame, of twoopposed engines mounted in said frame, a friction-wheel on the shaft ofeach engine,and said wheels standing in opposed relation, a drive-shaft,a friction-disk mounted to rotate with said shaft and to slide thereon,said disk being interposed between said friction-wheels and means formoving said friction-Wheels to carry their opposed faces into contactwith said interposed friction-disk.

3. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of a suitable frame, of opposedengines mounted in the frame to slide toward and from each other, afriction-wheel on the shaft of each engine, a drive-shaft, afriction-disk on the drive-shaft mounted to slide thereon and to rotatetherewith, and means for moving said engines independently to bring thefriction- .wheel of each or both of them into contact the other enginemay be moved so as'to bring with said friction-disk.

4. In amotor-vehicle, the combination with a frame, of two opposedengines mounted in said frame, a friction-wheel on the shaft of eachengine, a drive-shaft standing at right angles to the engine-shafts, afriction-disk mounted on the drive-shaft to slide thereon and rotatetherewith, means for carrying the friction-wheels of the engine singlyor concurrently .into contact with said friction-disk, and means formoving said disk upon the drive-shaft.

5. In a motor-vehicle, the combination with a frame, of two opposedengines mounted on carriages adapted to slide in said frame, afriction-wheel on the shaft of each engine, .a drive-shaft, afriction-disk on the drive-shaft adapted to slide thereon and interposedbetween the friction-wheels of the engines, an independent set of leversfor sliding the engine-carriages to carry the friction-wheels of theengines concurrently singly into contact with said friction-disk, andmeans for shifting said disk transversely of the face of saidfriction-wheels.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

ORSON W. DAVIS. Witnesses:

EDMUND H. GRIFFIN, J. N. SAMPSON.

